4 questions that can help you land your dream job
There are a few lucky people who truly enjoy what they do for a living. The rest of us resort to daydreaming about one day working in a job that gives us both satisfaction and purpose; or anything more than just a monthly salary. But these dreams often just remain dreams. We are too comfortable in our daily routines and too sceptical about what we can achieve to work towards making our dream jobs a reality. We convince ourselves that our dream job is just wishful thinking, that it's just impossible to actually make a living doing what we enjoy. But that isn't true. You can certainly find fulfilling work, plenty of people have done it after all. It does, however, take an extraordinary amount of dedication and perseverance. If you don't mind making that necessary aspect of chasing your dreams, here are four questions you need to ask yourself that can help you land your dream job:
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What do I want to do?
The answer to this question needs to be really specific. You need to figure out your priorities; what it is exactly that you want from your future career – whether its money, flexibility, or excitement. A detailed list of priorities can help you zero in on your ideal job. However, if you want to follow your passion and make a career out it, it's important not to romanticise it. Every job has a downside, and you have to find one which motivates you enough to keep going despite the many troubles you will undoubtedly face.
Why should anyone hire me?
Once you've realised what your dream job is, the next step is to get some experience in the field. Education isn't as important as real-world experience these days and a strong portfolio and resume is what matters most while job hunting. For example, if you want to be a writer, just start writing. Write as much as you can and build a portfolio which you can share with potential employers. The same goes for other jobs like photographer, designer, or digital marketer. Take up as many projects as possible and your skills will automatically start improving. However, if your dream job lies in a field like scientific reasearch, then there's no substitute for a college education.
From whom can I learn?
Getting first-hand information from people who have experience working in your dream career is immensely helpful. They can tell you things that you would never find out from anywhere else. Attend conferences, seminars, and other networking events pertaining to your desired profession and build valuable connections with as many people as you can. Ask them for advice and learn their habits. And since a large amount of hiring is done through referrals, one of them may even help you land your dream job.
Where would I enjoy working?
Getting hired by a company to do your dream job is a difficult task. You'll need to start by building a comprehensive list of all the companies operating in your field of interest. Once you've done that, start reaching out to them in any way that you can. It's a straightforward task if they've posted job openings on LinkedIn or AngelList. However, it's unlikely that a company is advertising an opening for the exact job you want and you'll probably have to contact companies directly. Get in touch with the hiring manager and tell them why you want to work at their company. Explain how you would make a useful hire to the firm and why you'll give it your all because it's your passion. You might be surprised to see how well this tactic can work.
You will surely face a lot of rejections and disappointments in the pursuit of landing your dream job. But if it is truly the career you want to pursue, hard work and persistence will ultimately pay off.